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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · pound · fan · root · shower · bulb · mark · prune

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. charge — a price
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. root — of a word
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — rain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — in control
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com